FDA approves new antibiotic but...

Back to work—including on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers have reportedly reached a deal on the debt ceiling. In the meantime, we look at a new antibiotic approved last week and what BIO’s saying about the U.S. Codex Office. (530 words, 2 minutes, 39 seconds)

FDA approves new antibiotic – but we need more

Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new drug for a notoriously hard-to-treat bacteria that causes pneumonia in hospitals—but we need more to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). 

The news: The FDA approved Xacduro, a new drug to treat hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia, which “can become highly resistant to multiple antibacterial drugs.”

Why it matters: The drug fights the bacteria Acinetobacter, which the World Health Organization (WHO) named one of the bacterial pathogens that pose the greatest threat to human health, amid a surge in drug-resistant hospital-acquired infections.

We need more drugs like this—because bacteria and fungi “are becoming impervious to the medicines we use to treat them — part of the global rise in AMR, which could kill as many as 10 million people a year by 2050 if we do nothing,” writes BIO CEO Rachel King in The Hill.

“Unfortunately, with only a few exceptions, most large drug companies have stopped research and development programs for antibiotics. The challenge is that the market for these medicines is broken,” she continues.

This legislation could help: The PASTEUR Act, “an innovative way to reimburse developers for novel antimicrobials while reinforcing the pillars of appropriate use,” explains King.

The next steps: The PASTEUR Act was reintroduced in the House and Senate in April, and BIO calls for urgent passage.   

Read and share the whole op-ed.

Small office, big impact

It may not be as visible compared to larger government agencies, but the U.S. Codex Office (USCO) has an important role in ensuring science-based agricultural trade and access to safe, nutritious food—and it needs adequate funding. 

The U.S. Codex Office (USCO) engages in outreach and education, advances science-based food standards, protects consumer health, sets fair practices in food trade, and manages U.S. involvement in the Codex Alimentarius Commission, a joint U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) food standards program.

USCO’s $4.8 million budget is a tiny drop in the federal spending bucket—but it has a big impact on ensuring science-based agricultural trade and access to safe, nutritious food worldwide.

BIO’s calling for more funding for the USCO—joining a recent letter to Congress to set 2024 funding in line with or above the 2023 level.

BIO’s take: “Thanks to the U.S. Codex Office, the United States has been a leader in maintaining food trade that is based on transparent, science-based rules,” said Nancy Travis, BIO’s vice president of international affairs. “Reducing funding for the USCO would damage that U.S. presence and leadership role.” 

Read the full letter.

President Biden’s Tuesday: Heading back to Washington after spending the holiday in Delaware. Over the weekend, President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reportedly came to a deal on the debt ceiling; now, “the White House and congressional leaders must convince enough lawmakers in the narrowly divided House and Senate to pass the legislation,” says CBS News.

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: Although officially still in recess, the House Rules Committee will meet today to determine the rules around the debt ceiling vote; Wednesday is the earliest day the House can vote, says CBS News. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Senators should prepare for a vote on Friday.